Improved amalgamator



fSheets-Sheet 1. S. F. CHARLES. Ore Amalgamator.

Patented Sept. 25, 1866.

Witnesses;

Inventor:

AM- P HOTO-LITHOA C0. N.Y. (OSBORN E's PRO BESS.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. S. ECHARLES.

* lillllliE I! i l |:I aw WINE Wit Inventor:

top view of one section of the amalgamator.

Nrrnn snares PATENT Fries.

S. FREDERICK CHARLES, OF DAHLONEGA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND S.J. RUSSELL.

IMPROVED AMALGAMATOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 55,335, dated September25, 1,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. FREDERICK CHARLES, of the town of Dahlonega, inthe county of Lumpkin and State of Georgia, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Separators and Amalgamators for Gold andother Precious Metals; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, true, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, of two sheets, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of thepanning-machine Fig. 2, a vertical section of the grinding-mill. Fig. 3is a vertical section of two, and a side view of one, of thesections ofthe amalgamator; Fig. 4, a perspective sectionqof the upper runner,showing the openings of the channels; Fig. 5, a perspective view of apartition-bar of the panner with the top removed; Fig. 6, a plan view ofthe bent lever by which the lower grinder is given a reciprocatingmotion; Fig. 7, a vertical sect-ion of the shell incasing the grinders;Fig. I), a

Like letters refer to similar parts in all of the figures.

The nature and object of my invention consists in constructing andcombining together a series of machines, each depending upon the other,so that in extracting gold from quartzrock I am enabled to extract allof the gold, so as to save it, by a single operation, from the coarsergrains to the most minute particles, and without reducing the apparentgold to an impalpable powder, and in important improvements in severalparts of the machines, as follows: In suspending the panner and givingit a rapid oscillating movement; in providing the panner with removableit and adjustable cross-bars; in forming a hopper partly in and of theupper grinder; in the method of connecting the upper grinder to theshaft; in providing thelower surface of the upper grinder with deepcavities or channels; in giving the lower grinder a reciprocatingmotion; in the attachment of rollers and a reciprocating arm to theshell of the grinding apparatus; in the arrangement of a series ofamalgamators, each succeeding one being located a little lower than itsimmediate predecessor; in suspending in each a set of rotatingamalgamating-pans;

in providing each with a partition, which causes all matter passingthrough to descend to the bottom; in rotating the amalgamatingpans inand through the whole mass without disturbing the mercury; and inproviding the series of amalgamators witln a flue running beneath themas a whole, to keep the water, particularly in winter, of an eventemperature, the amalgamating process being facilitated by a slightlyraised temperature.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to d e: scribe its construction and operation.

For pulverizing or crushing the quartz-rock I use any of the known formsof crnshers or stamping-mills, or both, in connection with my improvedapparatus, and connect the same as may be most convenient. The crushedquartz after leaving the crusher passes into the inlet-duct F, which ismade of sufficient capacity to carry all the material. This-duct orspout is cut off in the drawing before reaching the panner A. From thisduct the material is discharged into the pannerA and A. This panner ismade in two divisions, suspended side by side, each being thecounterpart of the other. A description of one will answer for both. Thetrough is made about twelve feet-long, two feet wide, and eight inchesdeep, and is suspended from a beam,

U, by the rods 1) p, entirely free from obstructions. It is made tovibrate rapidly by means of the bent levers a a, four or more of whichare attached to the panner,.at one end pivoted to the blocks or beams Z,and at the other end pivoted to the reciprocating pitman or bar E, whichpitman is operated by a lever, O, similarly bent, and which is attachedat the outer end by the rod D to the power by which the machinery isdriven, so as to give the required motion.

The lower end of the panner is about one inch lower than the other end,so as to give the mass a slight current toward the trough or duct II,into which it is discharged. The incline is adjusted by the screws b b.It is also divided into transverse compartments by the bars B B, 850.,which are in length, inside, equal to the width of the panner. They aremade of castiron, and are eight inches high and about three inches wide.The top bar projects over and turns downward, so as to form a sufficientbar for the thumb or set screw 0, by which it is secured to the side ofthe panner. Arms also extend down, fitting the inner sides of thepanner, which arms are provided with slots, in which the bars I) and eare made to move up or down by the screw f.

The bars I) and c are connected together by bolts (7, which form theconnecting projections that fit into the slots. The lower bar, 0, has

its lower surface grooved at the front edge, so

as to form a circular cavity, as shown, when resting on the bottom ofthe panner. These bars are placed about one foot and six inches apart,and their number will depend upon the length of the panner.

The front end of the panner is lined with copper about three feet, andthe copper is amalgamated with mercury, or furnished with asmuch as willadhere to the copper without being removed by the actionof themachinery. The coarse and apparent gold is principally taken out by thispanner, so far as the same is liberated by the action of the crusher,but the action of the crusher fails to liberate all of the apparentgold, and no part of the impalpable gold, which exists in all goldbearin g quartz, is liberated orsaved by crushing and panning simply. Itherefore run the tailings into the trough H,through which they areconducted to the grinders to be reground and if more than one grinder isused I insert a partition into the trough or duct, so that the properproportion will be carried to each.

These grinders are made of hard cast-iron or Franklinite iron. Thegrinders are about four feet and six inches in diameter, eight inchesthick on the outside, and six inches on the inside, or at the hole K, sothat the mass will run freely into the mill. The hole K through thecenter is about one foot in diameter.

The grinder is attached to the shaft T by means of the arms t, which areinserted into the runner-by a dovetail joint, .9, and are at tached tothe shaft by means of projections r r and the clamp or collar q. By thisconstruc tion themill can readily be taken apart for transportation orrepairs. A rim or band, a, is attached to the outer edge of this runner,so as to complete and hopper. The runner is rotated by means of thebevel or miter wheel X.

The lower surface of the runner is provided with anumber of radiatin gchannels or grooves,

jj, which are about five inches deep, one and a halfinch in width, andextend outward to within about three inches of the periphery. The lowerrunner is of the same diameter as the upper, and eight inches inthickness. It is perfectly plain, and rests in the case M. The case ortube is five feet in diameter and about sixteen inches deep, having ahollow shaft, N, cast in the center about four inches higher than thesides of the tube, which forms a shield to the shaft of. the uppergrinder. This hollow shaft is of sufficient internal diameter to allowthe case and lower grinder to oscillate without interfering with theshaft of the runner, as hereinafter described. To this case I also caston the bottom sockets or shoes t 1', in which the rollers h h areplaced. These rollers h are about two inches in diameter and extendacross the bottom of the case. A reciprocating motion of about one andone-half inch is given to this case and the nether grinder by means ofthe bent lever O and rod P, connected with the driving-power.

The auriferous material, having passed through the mill and out of thebottom of the case M into the duct J, is passed into the amalgamator. IThe amalgamator is made in twelve sections, and as they are all alikeonly one of the sections need be described. The shell or case B is madeof cast-iron, and is lined with copper at the bottom: It is about twofeet square and two feet deep. A movable partition is inserted about sixinches from one end, and extends from the top to within about threeinches of the bottom, allowing sufficient space for the material to passunder. Into the case is inserted a frame composed of two upright bars ofabout one inch by two inches, connected at the lower end by a perforatedplate, t. This perforated plate is for the purpose of producing a gentlecurrent, is about three inches wide and a quarter of an inch inthickness, and is connected at the top by the curved bar Z, to which isattached the shaft W. Into this frame are inserted four circularcopperpans, Y, which are about three inches deep, and are supported by theledges a, and are fastened by thumb-screws. This frame is suspendedabout three inches from the bottom of the case and supported by theconical collars X,

' and made to revolve about thirty revolutions per minute by means ofthe bevel-wheel y. Mercury is placed in the pans and bottom of the caseto the depth of three-eighths of an inch.

The water may be drawn off at the stop-cock a, and the mercury at thecock M. The amalgamators are placed in a row or line but not in the sameplane, the second one being three inches lower than the first, and so onto the last, making the last one three feet lower than the first. Thewhole series is set on a brick or stone foundation, having a linebeneath them and a fire-place, the door of which is seen at w, thepurpose of which is to keep the water moderately warm and insuretheperfect working of the amalgamators in cold weather.

In using my machinery I avoid roasting the quartz for the followingreasons: First, auriferous quartz is often mixed with pyrites, and ifroasted develops sulphurous matter, which in contact with water isexceedingly injurious to machinery constructed of iron; second, byroasting quartz a great waste of gold is unavoidable.

The operation of my improved machinery is as follows (All miners objectto grinding the coarser or apparent gold into a powder with the quartz.)The quartz, after being crushed in water by any of the known methods,passes from the crusher through the duct F into both divisions, A and A,of the panner,

which has a vibrating motion of about two hundred alternations perminute, which motion is communicated to the water without acceleratingthe current. The vibrating motion communicated to the fluid mattercauses the gold, by its greater specific gravity, to be precipitated tothe bottom,the finer gold adhering to the amalgamated copper, thecoarser gold lodging against and under the curved bars. The gold can betaken out at will, without stopping the machinery, by stopping the flowof ground quartz from one of the pans'at a time, and letting on a smallstream of clear water through the duct g, and allowing it to run a fewseconds, washing out portions of the remaining sand. The front bar isthen gradu-' ally raised by means of the screw f, releasing the goldlodged against it. The next bar is treated in like manner, and so on tothe last. The gold is then received in a vessel. The bars are thenreplaced, and the process epeatedon the other pan, and so on,alternately,

as often as may be desired. By this process a continuous saving of allfree gold is performed. Thence I pass the tailings through the duct Hinto the mill or grinding apparatus, where it is reground to animpa-lpable matter.

The operation is verymuch facilitated by giving the lower grinder anoscillating motion in connection with the rotary motion of the uppergrinder. It also prevents the gold from being ground in a leaf-like'form, and thus preventsit from floating upon the surface of the water.i

The ground mass passes through the' duct J into the first amalgamatorbehind the partition, and is forced to pass below the bottom of thepartition, coming in contact with the mercury in the bottom of the case,and rises up around and over the pans in the revolving frame,and passesout the spout V into the next amalgamator, where it descends and rises,as before, and so onthrough the series of amalgamators, when it isallowed to pass off. By this process, the material coming repeatedly incontact with the mercury, all the gold will be absorbed. The bulk of thegold will be found in the three first amalgamators. The gold need not beremoved from the remaining ones often er than once in three or sixmonths.

By this processor amalgamation the greatest saving of the precious metalis effected. I also avoid stirring or agitating the mercury with anyhard. substance, as agitation will cause it to lose its cohesion, and itwill float off with the water, and also greatly weaken its affinity forgold.

The panning process is also useful in placer or hydraulic mining, as alarge mass can be panned as thoroughly and effectively as can be done byhand.

It is apparent that many of the parts, details, and relative positionsof the parts will require changes in some respects to suit the positionor locality in which the appa atus is placed and the construction of thepower by which it is driven, which changes any good mechanic will beable to make.

The machinery should be so geared that the upper grinder should makeabout two hundred revolutions, the lower grinder about thirtyoscillating motions, the panning-machine about two hundred vibrations,and the amalgamatorpans about thirty revolutions, per minute.

V hat 1 claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The so combining a panning-machine, a regrinding-machine, and anamalgamator that the gold shall be thoroughly extracted by the continuous and connected action of all of them, substantially as set forth.

2. The adjustable partition B, constructed and operated substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

3. The deep radiating channels j in the lower surface of the grinder K.

4. The combination of an upper revolving grinder with an oscillatinglower one, constructed and operating substantially as specified.

5. The case or shell M of the grinders, in combination with the rollers17 and the reciprocatin g arm or lever O.

6. The amalgamator R, constructed so as to form one large and one narrowcompartment by the insertion of the removable and adjustable partition0, substantially as specified.

7. Therevolving frame provided with amalgamating-pans suspended belowthe surface of the auriferous mass, constructed and operatingsubstantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. The location of the flue below the series of amalgamators,substantially as and for the'

